20 HUMANItARIAN REfORM: fUlfIllINg ItS PROMISE? fMR 29
to assist IDPs but rather promoting than as impartial neutral actors and the prioritising of increased
the alignment of aid with UN and working to help those most in need. coordination over immediate
donor political objectives. The response represent an indirect
natural tension which exists between MSF made the decision not to impact of lost potential to assist
short-term, life-saving activities for participate in the clusters at the the most vulnerable populations.
humanitarian response and longer- ‘global’ level because of our principles These reforms are still a work in
term objectives of achieving peace of independence and neutrality. In progress and must be challenged
and state building are continually response to complex field realities and and questioned by all humanitarian
jeopardised by efforts to bring pragmatic needs, information sharing actors. By further expanding the
humanitarian issues into line with and practical operational exchanges logic of coherence and integration,
political aims. The need for an may lead MSF to participate in certain the UN humanitarian reforms pose
immediate humanitarian response clusters as observers at the capital and a threat to the independence of
today cannot and should not be field levels. For MSF, independence humanitarian actors and the crucial
driven by the objective of bringing and neutrality cannot mean isolation diversity of approaches that MSF
political benefits tomorrow. and MSF must maintain key bilateral believes are key to effective and
contacts with UN coordination meaningful humanitarian assistance.
In the often volatile and dangerous structures. Yet, in the end, the UN-
areas where humanitarian agencies led clusters’ insistence on joint Eric Stobbaerts (eric.stobbaerts@
try to deliver aid, neutrality or, analysis and response is incompatible london.msf.org) is Senior Researcher at
more importantly, the perception of with independent, diverse and Médecins Sans Frontières, UK, Sarah
neutrality facilitates access and acts innovative humanitarian response, Martin (sarah.martin@amsterdam.
as a guarantee of security for both for and represents the limits of MSF msf.org) is the Humanitarian Affairs
those providing and receiving aid. interaction with these or any other Specialist at Médecins Sans Frontières,
While access and security problems coordination structure. MSF teams The Netherlands, and Katharine
for humanitarians pre-date and are must continually monitor how our Derderian (katharine.derderian@
not necessarily linked with the UN interaction with other actors, including brussels.msf.org) the Humanitarian
reforms, it is still an urgent concern the UN-led clusters, impacts on the Advisor for Policy Issues at Médecins
for Médecins Sans Frontières. The perception of our independence, Sans Frontières, Belgium.
increasingly invasive politicised impartiality and neutrality.
1. www.un.org/peace/reports/peace_operations
concepts of integration and coherence 2. The inter-sectional study includes the MSF sections
will further erode the already fragile No definitive conclusions can be in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as the
MSF-Brazil office. The study is not an institutional MSF
local perceptions of the neutrality drawn at this stage as to how the UN position on the UN humanitarian reforms. For more
and independence of humanitarian humanitarian reforms are impacting information on this study, please note our upcoming
article in ODI/HPG.
actors. Nowhere is this clearer than humanitarian space, either positively
3. www.regjeringen.no/upload/UD/Vedlegg/missions/
in contexts like Iraq, Somalia or or negatively. While there is no sgnote.pdf
Darfur where populations perceive evidence that the reforms directly 4. http://cerf.un.org
humanitarians as pursuing political impact the populations we serve, the 5. See Blog by Toby Porter (SCF) on http://blogs.odi.org.
uk/blogs/exchange/archive/2007/01/18/1591.aspx
goals through partial and politicised enormous time, energy and funding
or regionally biased assistance, rather dedicated to the reform process
Insecure environments:
the missing piece?
by Matthew Benson
While current reforms address a number of key issues In today’s globalised world,
affecting civilians in conflict, they do not address other, poorly practised humanitarianism
risks becoming a liability to all
arguably more pressing, issues facing the humanitarian humanitarian actors. Humanitarians
community – such as the provision of humanitarian ought collectively to take the
assistance in insecure environments. necessary steps to allow for the
continued provision of principled
The perceived politicisation the targeting of national and humanitarian assistance to intended
of humanitarian assistance international humanitarian personnel beneficiaries in even the most
– resulting from deterioration and their local partners and may insecure of environments.
of the humanitarian principles also be contributing to physical
of impartiality, neutrality and insecurity for the very beneficiaries Humanitarian action is often
independence – has led to that humanitarians seek to assist. synonymous with conflict
fMR 29 HUMANItARIAN REfORM: fUlfIllINg ItS PROMISE? 21
environments involving some degree are exposed to greater risk than and collaboration on advocacy
of personal risk for humanitarian their international counterparts. campaigns in insecure areas
staff. Today the stakes may be higher
than they have been. Attacks on The concern voiced by some n consider the ethics of transferring
local and international staff and humanitarian actors, particularly security risks from expatriate
partners of humanitarian actors those from outside the UN, that staff to national staff or local
have increased. Since 1997 the current approaches to enhanced NGOs and provide them with
number of major acts of violence coordination and leadership more security training
(killings, kidnappings and armed may lead to the politicisation of
attacks resulting in serious injury) humanitarian assistance must also n consider the human resource
committed against aid workers be addressed in the context of implications of dependence on
has nearly doubled.1 Risks may in insecure environments. This may remote management: care must
certain instances be extending to require a collective re-examination be taken to ensure that national
the beneficiaries of assistance. In of the shared utility of approaches staff have the leadership skills
Iraq analysts have voiced concerns such as the Cluster Approach and and acquire the necessary training
that intended beneficiaries’ Integrated Missions, which some and self-reliance to make difficult
association with humanitarian humanitarian agencies fear may decisions in response to the
actors may increase their physical serve to intensify the politicisation rapidly changing operational
insecurity and/or lead to their of aid and compound threats realities in insecure environments
refusal of humanitarian assistance. to safe humanitarian action.
n consult closely with donors
A common response to the lack of We need a collective examination and beneficiaries to ensure
access is the adoption of Remote of threats to principled they understand the challenges
Management Operations (RMOs). humanitarianism in insecure associated with implementation of
These are hardly new. RMOs have environments and to begin searching RMOs in insecure environments
been implemented by humanitarians for innovative solutions. In insecure
under different guises – ‘long arm environments no individual UN n relentlessly negotiate and
programming’, ‘remote control’, agency or local/international NGO maintain humanitarian space:
‘remote support’, ‘partnership’, is an island and the conduct of this may require a collective
‘cross-border’, ‘one-off operations’, some humanitarian actors may have examination of the relationships
‘hit and run operations’, ‘aid on unavoidable repercussions for all humanitarians establish and
the run’, ‘give and go operations’ ‘humanitarian’ agencies in the area maintain with non-state actors,
or ‘windows of opportunity’ of operation. Every humanitarian state authorities, military actors
– in Afghanistan, Biafra, Chechnya, actor has a responsibility to the and peacekeeping operations.
Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and beneficiaries they seek to assist
elsewhere. Typically ad hoc, to search for common solutions The diversity that enhances the
RMOs involve the relocation of to shared challenges. The recent humanitarian sector must not
international staff to safe areas departure of ICRC and MSF from be allowed to lead to rancorous
away from the area of operation, the humanitarian reform discussion divisions. The humanitarian reform
leaving operational responsibilities table is a cause for concern. process is taking place in a troubled
to national staff or local partners international context. The loud calls
(who are perceived – often without Those engaged in shaping the for a more robust UN engagement
evidence – to enjoy more local humanitarian reform process must: in Iraq, the world’s most insecure
acceptance than expatriates). As environment, highlight the urgent
the article by UNHCR’s Andrew n examine how to extend protection need for humanitarian reformers
Harper and José Riera in FMR’s Iraq to intended beneficiaries as well to take proactive steps towards the
special issue makes clear,2 RMOs as national and international staff collective development of innovative
are not a panacea to the challenges approaches to coordination and
faced in insecure environments. n draft contingency plans for remote leadership in insecure environments.
Nevertheless, plausible alternatives management in countries such as
to RMOs may include the adoption Pakistan and Zimbabwe which are Matthew Benson (bensonm@unhcr.
of what some might call a ‘bunker likely to suffer chronic turbulence org or matthew.benson@alumni.tufts.
mentality’, where security edu) is a research intern working
restrictions hamper humanitarians n address the concern voiced by with UNHCR’s Policy Development
from implementing the work some non-UN humanitarian and Evaluation Service (PDES www.
the public expects them to do. actors that the Cluster Approach unhcr.org/research/3b850c744.html).
and integrated missions may
1. Adele Harmer, Katherine Haver and Abby Stoddard,
While remote management allows politicise humanitarian assistance3 ‘Providing Aid in Insecure Environments: Trends in
for continued service provision, Policy and Operations’, Humanitarian Policy Group
Report 23, September 2006. www.odi.org.uk/hpg/
the ability to remain accountable to n take care before embarking on aid_insecure_environments.html See id21 summary at:
www.id21.org/zinter/id21zinter.exe?a=0&i=s10bas1g1&
intended beneficiaries and donors high-profile activities which u=46fa287e
is in many instances compromised. could jeopardise the security of 2. ‘Iraq’s displacement crisis: the search for solutions’
Dangers for national staff and all humanitarian actors – such www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/Iraq/04.pdf
local partners are great and they as branding of humanitarian 3. See preceding article by Eric Stobbaerts, Sarah Martin
and Katherine Derderian.
operations in combat zones